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Accountability for Results For the UNDAF, mutual accountability means the respective accountability of parties working together towards shared outcomes UNCTs are accountable for outcomes, they are not wholly responsible for their achievement.

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Changes in institutional performance or behaviours  Strategic contribution to the country priorities/MDGs  Number of outcomes depends on challenges and UNCT comparative advantages  Collective priorities (but do not require contributions from every agency)  Produced by the combined effects of the contributing outputs  Reflect a choice about strategy or policy Outcomes: Definition & key features

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Concrete, deliverables  Operational changes: new skills or abilities, the availability of new products and services  Must be achieved within the programme period  Managers have a high degree of control  If the result is mostly beyond the control or influence of the programme or project, it cannot be an output  Failure to deliver is failure of the programme or project  Unless under a joint programme, outputs are NOT collective results Outputs: Definition & key features

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More specific problems Tautologies in the results chain Results not logically linked Results not sufficiently specific Results are composites of several results Results don’t express change (e.g. support provided to strengthen….) Results statements are too wordy Confusion between levels of results Indicators Not logically linked to the result Not measurable Are new results Too many!!!

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Country Examples Note to facilitation team: Insert 1-3 slides with results chains from current UNDAF With their new knowledge, ask participants to reflect on the ‘SMART’ness of their results Examples from Lao PDR follow…

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Lao PDR: Current Outcomes 1. By 2011, the livelihoods of poor, vulnerable and food insecure populations are enhanced through sustainable development 2. By 2011, increased and more equitable access to and utilization of quality and prioritized social services 3. By 2011, strengthened capacities of public and private institutions to fulfill their duties and greater people’s participation in governance and advocacy for the promotion of human rights in conformity with the Millennium Declaration.

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1. By 2011, the livelihoods of poor, vulnerable and food insecure populations are enhanced through sustainable development 1.1 Improved and equitable access to land (between men and women) markets and social and economic services, environmentally sustainable utilization of natural resources, with balanced population growth Can the UNCT and partners actually do this? What are the key performance issues or capacity gaps that underlie the situation? 1.2 Increased and more diversified agricultural production, and sustainable use of non-timber forest products 1.3 Improved household food security 1.4 Enhanced ownership and capacity for pro-poor planning and implementation, harmonized aid coordination, and disaster management 1.5 Enabled environment for growth with equity. For this chain, 43 indicators – none at outcome level

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2. By 2011, increased and more equitable access to and utilization of quality and prioritized social services 2.1 Increased and equitable access to quality basic education; Tautology 2.2 Improved equity, efficiency and quality of health services with increasing health services coverage with an emphasis on maternal and child health, family planning, nutrition,communicable disease control, and water and sanitation Indicators do not address all 3 dimensions 2.3 Increased coverage of quality HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support,focusing on the most vulnerable groups (including children) as defined in the national strategy on HIV and AIDS, sexually transmitted infections. Ambition?

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3. By 2011, strengthened capacities of public and private institutions to fulfill their duties and greater people’s participation in governance and advocacy for the promotion of human rights in conformity with the Millennium Declaration. If – then logic…? 3.2 Increased and more equitable access to justice and strengthened rule of law Are we reaching a bit far? 3.4 Progressive realization of international treaty obligations, including protection of human rights, in accordance with the Lao Constitution and the Millennium Declaration These sound more like National priorities

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Examples Uganda (2010-2014) Evidence-based policies, strategies and plans are reviewed, developed and adequately resourced through participatory and inclusive approaches to increase access to quality social services. Azerbaijan (2011-2015) By 2015, civil society, media, and vulnerable groups enjoy increased roles in policy formulation and implementation processes. Rwanda (2008-2012) Capacity of key public and private institutions strengthened to apply gender equality principles and standards in performance, practices and behavior Vietnam (2006-2010) Strengthened legislative process, legal safeguards and justice mechanisms for vulnerable groups, ensuring consistency between the legal system and constitutional norms and international treaties

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Refining results… To strengthen the capacity of health workers to do X by undertaking Y,… The capacity of health workers is strengthened to do X by undertaking Y,… The capacity of health workders in the 4 poorest districts is strengthened to do X by undertaking Y,… The capacity of health workers in the 4 poorest districts is strengthened to do X by undertaking Y,… Health workers in the 4 poorest districts are better able to X Let’s use results language to emphasis the future condition we want to achieve. All health workers, everywhere? Can you be more specific? Are there particularly weak or under- resourced health workers we should emphasise? We can take out information that relates to either strategy or activities. Now, let’s try bringing the subject of change to the front, and shifting from passive to active language.

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 Track progress towards the agreed results in the UNDAF matrix  Checks if assumptions made and risks identified at the design stage are still valid or need to be reviewed  Allows UNCTs and implementing partners to make mid- course corrections as an integral part of programme management What is Monitoring?

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And Why Do We Need It?  Regular and systematic assessment of progress  Continued review of partners’ capacity development needs  Improve results-based reporting on achievements  Strengthen teamwork and ownership of the UNDAF among implementing partners

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 An external function that is separated from programme management  Determines whether results made a worthwhile contribution to national development priorities  3 key questions:  Did the UNDAF make the best use of the UNCT’s comparative advantages in the country?  Did the UNDAF generate a coherent UNCT response to national priorities?  Did the UNDAF help achieve the selected priorities in the national development framework? What is Evaluation?

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And why do we need to do it?  Whether we are Doing the Right Things – Relevance/rationale/justification – Client satisfaction  Whether we are Doing it Right – Effectiveness/coherence – Efficiency: optimizing resources – Sustainability – Impact  Whether there are Better Ways of Doing it – Alternatives – Good practices – Lessons learned – Improved positioning to influence next development planning framework

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Experience from the Field UNDAF Monitoring is NOT OPERATIONAL  UNDAF Outcome groups not formed or meet rarely  Responsibilities not in performance appraisal instruments  Group members not rewarded for their UNDAF monitoring efforts  UNDAF Outcome groups become paper entities Most importantly… No regular or coherent reporting to the UNCT about overall progress towards UNDAF results

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M&E Plan  Designed at same time as the UNDAF Results Matrix  Highlights mechanisms or modalities for monitoring the achievement of outputs and contributions towards outcomes Key considerations  Indicators for UNDAF results to be drawn from national systems  If data not available, baseline studies can be supported  The M&E Plan may be reflected in a table or in the narrative of the UNDAF document

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UNDAF outcome groups: UNDAF outcome/ thematic groups are expected to: – Meet regularly with partners to assess progress; – Conduct joint monitoring missions (as appropriate) – Report regularly to the UNCT on the above, and assist the UNCT to bring lessons and good practices to the attention of policy makers – Conduct and document annual progress reviews of the UNDAF (on basis of M&E plan) The UNCT should… – Recognise their responsibilities group members in performance appraisal instruments – Ensure that UNDAF groups have resources and secretariat support to function

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Key Elements of Simplified M&E Process Evaluation Annual Review Process Reporting Align the UNDAF annual review process with the national review process. To facilitate this, interagency groups are formed around each national priority UNDAF evaluation is REQUIRED. It is linked with national evaluations. However, the modalities are flexible. Annual reporting is NOT required. A single UNDAF progress report is required per UNDAF cycle.

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Assumption: A Definition  A necessary condition for the achievement of results at different levels  Part of the cause-effect logic  Stated as though it is actually the case  Often very un-predictable at higher levels  Can help identify additional results or outputs

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Risk: A Definition  A potential event or occurrence beyond the control of the programme that could adversely affect the achievement of the desired results  A threat to success  Not just the negative of an assumption  A trigger for reconsideration of strategic direction

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Assumptions & Risks Prov. Govt disburses its planned financial support for the micro- credit initiatives Indigenous communities in Belem Province enjoy a higher standard of living Indigenous families involved in micro-credit initiatives have increased employment and incomes Risk: Return of hyper- inflation Income generating micro-credit initiatives are implemented if and assuming… if and assuming… Local market demand for the products generated Families use their new incomes to meet basic needs (pay school fees, etc.) then